Wire-stretcher.



No. 799,767. PATENTED SEPT. 19,1905. 0. P. WEISENBORN. WIRE STRBTGHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.10, 1900.

Mommy lllllllllliiliilllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' OTTO F. WEISENBORN, CARTHAGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF I TOBEEOHER J AOKES, OF ADRIAN, ILLINOIS.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed November 10, 1900. Serial No. 36,069.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO F. WEISENBORN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oarthage, in the county of Hancock and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Wire- Stretcher, of which the followingis a specification. 1

This invention relates to improvements in wire-stretchers; and theobject of the same is to provide a simple and effective construction ofwire-stretcher which is composed of aminimum number of parts and whichmay be quickly applied to the wires of a fence and readily operated toremove the slack therefrom.

With the above object in view the invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction herein after fully described,particularlypointed out in the claim, and clearly illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a wirestretcherembodying my invention, the same being shown applied to a fence-wire;Fig. 2, a top plan view; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the drum detachedfrom the frame, and Fig. 4 an end elevation.

' My improved wire-stretcher consists of a frame having parallel arms A,enlarged at one end and formed with alined opening B. At their oppositeends said arms carry a wireguide consisting of an oval loop O, formedintegral therewith and having a slot D in its lower member to receivethe wire when the stretcher is applied thereto. The wire-guide has aboss E formed on one end upon the exterior of the frame, said boss beingperforated to receive a pivotal pin F, which is riveted therein and uponwhich a gravity-pawl Or is mounted, said pawl swinging between the outersurface of the boss and a washer H,

, carried by the pin.

I designates a removable drum, which is positioned in the openings B ofthe frame and parallel to the major axis of the loop, said drum beingformed with a longitudinally-exposite end of the drum is squared, asillustrated' at L, to receive a wrench .or other tool for rotating itand is provided adjacent to said squared end with a ratchet M, formedintegral therewith, and upon one side of said ratchet with an annularshoulder N.

In operation the frame is inserted upon a wire of the fence to bestretched, the slot formed in the guiding-loop receiving the wire. Thedrum is then inserted through the openings in the arms of the frame withthe bifurcations forward by the slot therein straddling the wire. Thepawl is then swung into engagement with the ratchet and the drum r0-tated by means of-a wrench or other tool. The drum is locked fromlongitudinal movement in one direction by the engagement of the annularshoulder formed thereon with one of the arms of the frame and fromlongitudinal movement in the opposite direction by the engagement ofsaid shoulder with the pawl, so that in order to remove the drum it isnecessary to lift the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet. I

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a verysimple construction of wire-stretcher, which may be quickly applied to awire of a fence and readily operated to remove the slack therefrom andin which the drum is locked from displacement by an exceedingly simplearrangement of parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim as'new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

A wire-stretcher comprising parallel perforated arms, an oval guide-wireloop connecting the forward ends of the arms, and having its lowermember slotted, a boss formed at one end of the loop, alongitudinally-slotted drum journaled in the perforations of the armsand parallel with the major axis of the loop, a ratchet on the drum, anda pawl pivotally carried by the boss and adapted to engage the ratchet.

OTTO F. WEISENBORN Witnesses:

EDGAR A. PAYNE, HERBERT L. JAoKsoN.

